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Living by God's Sufficiency

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The following is adapted from Living by God’s Sufficiency course, a free theology course taught by Pastor Bob Hoekstra available at the Blue Letter Bible Institute.

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God
(2 Corinthians 3:5)

A prayer about our dependence on God

We who deserve the worst have, in Jesus Christ, been given the best. We thank You for Your great mercy and wonderful grace. Thank You for our new lives. We want to walk in the Spirit. We want to grow in Your way. We want to serve You. And we want to be conformed to the image of Christ, your Son. Please work this in us. We pray that, by Your Holy Spirit, You would open up the Scriptures to us. Give us ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to receive. And, Lord, we ask You to accomplish Your work in each of our lives right now. You know the position of our hearts and our minds. You know what we need. You know how to use Your word to work in our lives, and we pray that you would do just that. We pray You would touch us and that You would work in us to will and to do of Your good pleasure. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

God’s grace is sufficient for all of life

With this prayer that God would affect our hearts and lives, we begin with God’s sufficiency for godly living. Every true Christian—every true believer—knows that he is birthed into the family of God by grace. He is born again by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, the Scriptures teach us that we are not only birthed by grace, but we are to grow continually in our lives of faith by that same grace. His grace is not only sufficient for salvation but all of life.

May God grant us a high view of His supremacy and sufficiency!

Comments

  1. My wife and I had the privilege of going to a marriage seminar led by Bob several years ago. It really blessed us. I miss his him and his teachings.

  2. I have been praying for a closer walk with God. I was just about ready to search for “teach me thy way Lord ” when the above appeared. Thank you for sharing.

  3. We Live in the GRACE administration, this is a great time to live and serve God and share what He did for us in Christ Jesus. The cool thing is, we have IT, the next thing to do with IT, is to use IT, then release what God has given. Recieve, Retain, Release. God can only give for what He is, and that is Love and spirit. And of course more.

    Jim Schultz

  4. PRAISE YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST AND OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN

    Acts 5:29
    Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said
    WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN

    John 17:8
    For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest ME
    and they have received them and have known surely
    that I came out from thee
    and they have believed that thou didst send ME

    John 17:20
    Neither pray I for these alone
    But for them also which shall believe
    on ME through their word

    Acts 6:4
    But we will give ourselves continually to prayer
    and to the ministry of the word

    Matthew 4:4
    But HE answered and said
    It is written man shall not LIVE on bread alone
    But by EVERY word that proceedeth out of the mouth of GOD

    Luke 4:4
    And JESUS answered him saying
    It is written that man shall not—-LIVE—- by bread alone
    But by every word of GOD

    Matthew 12:37
    For by thy words thou shalt be JUSTIFIED
    and by thy words thou shalt be CONDEMNED

    Psalm 119:154
    Plead my cause and deliver me
    Quicken me according to thy word

    Psalm 119:155
    Salvation is far from the wicked
    For they seek not thy statutes

    Psalm 119:156
    Great are thy tender mercies O LORD
    Quicken me according to thy judgements

    Psalm 119:157
    Many are my persecutors and mine enemies
    Yet I do not decline from thy testimonies

    John 14:15
    If you love ME keep MY commandments

    John 15:9&10
    As the FATHER hath loved ME so have I loved you
    CONTINUE YE IN MY LOVE
    (10) IF YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS YOU SHALL ABIDE IN MY LOVE EVEN AS I HAVE KEPT MY FATHERS COMMANDMENTS AND ABIDE IN HIS LOVE

    Proverbs 8:17
    I love those who love ME
    and those that seek ME early shall find ME

    Acts 17:11
    These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily
    WHETHER THOSE THINGS WERE SO

    O LORD are we instructed to be like the mormons or any other sect who pick a verse to make an excuse for ignoring you

    Amos 3:7
    Surely the LORD GOD will do nothing but he revealeth HIS secret unto to HIS servants the prophets

    Do they not ignore you LORD by putting some man in front of them to do what you command us not to do while also ignoring more of what you have given us

    Hebrews 1:1&2
    God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time
    PAST unto the fathers by the prophets
    (2) Hath in these last days SPOKEN unto us by HIS SON
    whom HE hath appointed heir of all things
    BY WHOM ALSO HE HATH MADE THE WORLDS

    Hebrews 1:3
    Who being the brightness of HIS glory and the express image of HIS person
    UPHOLDING ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER
    WHEN HE HAD BY HIMSELF PURGED OUR SINS
    SAT DOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH

    Do not the seventh day adventists add to your doctrine
    through some woman also disobeying you LORD JESUS

    1 Timothy 2:11-12
    Let the woman learn in silence with ALL subjection
    (12) But I suffer not a woman to teach or have authority
    over the man but to be in silence

    Titus 2:4&5
    That they may teach the young women to be sober
    to love their husbands to love their children
    (5)To be discreet chaste keepers at home good
    obedient to their own husbands that
    THE WORD OF GOD BE NOT BLASPHEMED

    1 Corinthians 14:34
    Let your women keep silence in the churches
    for it is not permitted unto them to speak
    but they are commanded to be under obedience
    as also saith the law

    Genesis 3:16
    Unto the woman HE said I will multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children
    and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee

    1 Peter 3:5&6
    For after this manner in the old time the holy women also who
    TRUSTED in GOD adorned themselves being in subjection unto their own husbands
    (6) Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him lord
    whose daughters you are
    as long as you do well and are not afraid with any amazement

    Do not the catholics give themselves a man to bow down to
    and in their additions to your word write
    by asking MARY to pray for us we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we addres ourselves to the mother of mercy
    the all holy one we give ourselves over to her now in the today of our lives

    LORD are they any different

    Do YOU not instruct us to come to YOU
    Yes LORD you do PRAISE YOU LORD JESUS
    OUR LORD OF LORDS OUR KING OF KINGS
    HELP US LORD HELP US LORD JESUS OUR SAVIOR

    Give us I pray instruction LORD that we may be YOUR people
    separate from the world

    Isaiah 53:11
    He shall see the travail of HIS soul
    and shall be satisfied
    By HIS knowledge shall MY righteous servant justify many
    for HE shall bear their iniquities

    Ecclesiastes 12:10&11
    The preacher sought to find out acceptable words
    and that which was written was upright
    even words of truth
    (11) The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies
    WHICH ARE GIVEN FROM ONE SHEPARD

    Matthew 23:8
    But be ye not called Rabbi
    for one is your master even CHRIST
    and all you are brethren

    1 Timothy 2:5
    For their is one GOD and one mediator between GOD and men
    THE MAN JESUS CHRIST

    Ecclesiastes 12:12&13
    And further by these MY son be admonished
    of making many books there is no end
    and much study is a weariness of the flesh
    (13)Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter
    FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS
    FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN

    Ecclesiastes 12:14
    For GOD shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing
    whether it be good or whether it be evil

    Did you LORD JESUS give anybody authority to pick and choose what scriptures could be eliminated or adhered to
    HELP US LORD TO SHOW OUR LOVE FOR YOU BY OBEYING YOU

    1 Corinthians 15:34
    AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SIN NOT
    FOR SOME HAVE NOT THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
    I SPEAK THIS TO YOUR SHAME

    Proverbs 8:8&9
    ALL THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ARE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
    THERE IS NOTHING FROWARD OR PERVERSE IN THEM
    (9) THEY ARE ALL PLAIN TO HIM THAT UNDERSTANDETH
    AND RIGHT TO THEM THAT FIND KNOWLEDGE

    Psalm 119:172
    MY TONGUE SHALL SPEAK OF THY WORD FOR ALL THY COMMANDMENTS ARE RIGHTEOUSNESS

    Isaiah 26:10
    THOUGH GRACE IS SHOWN TO THE WICKED
    THEY DO NOT LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS
    EVEN IN THE LAND OF UPRIGHTNESS
    THEY GO ON DOING EVIL AND REGARD NOT THE MAJESTY OF THE LORD

    Titus 2:11&12
    FOR THE GRACE OF GOD THAT BRINGETH SALVATION HATH APPEARED TO ALL MEN
    (12) TEACHING US THAT DENYING UNGODLINESS AND WORLDLY LUSTS WE SHOULD LIVE—SOBERLY—RIGHTEOUSLY AND GODLY
    IN THIS PRESENT WORLD

    Titus 2:13&14
    LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE AND THE GLORIUOS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
    (14) WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR US THAT HE MIGHT REDEEM US FROM ALL INIQUITY
    AND PURIFY UNTO HIMSELF A PECULIAR PEOPLE
    ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS

    Titus 2:15
    THESE THINGS SPEAK AND EXHORT AND REBUKE WITH ALL AUTHORITY
    LET NO MAN DESPISE THEE

    Revelation 22:18&19
    FOR I TESTIFY TO EVERY MAN THAT HEARETH THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK
    IF–ANY– MAN SHALL ADD UNTO THESE THINGS
    GOD SHALL ADD UNTO HIM THE PLAGUES THAT ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK
    (19)AND IF–ANY — MAN SHALL TAKE AWAY FROM THE WORDS OF THE BOOK OF THIS PROPHECY
    GOD SHALL TAKE AWAY HIS PART–OUT– OF THE BOOK OF LIFE
    AND–OUT–OF THE HOLY CITY AND—FROM—THE THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK

    LOVING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
    AND THE FATHER IN HEAVEN

  5. Mark 8:35
    For whosoever will save his life shall lose it
    But whosoever shall lose his life for MY sake and the gospels
    the same shall save it

    John 5:34
    But I receive not testimony from man
    But these things I say that you might be saved

    Acts 20:24
    But none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course with joy
    and the ministry which I have received of the LORD JESUS
    To testify the gospel of the grace of GOD

    1 John 3:8
    He that committeth sin is of the devil
    For the devil sinneth from the beginning
    For this purpose the SON OF GODwas manifested
    That HE might destroy the works of the devil

    Romans 8:28
    And we know that all things work together for good to them
    that love GOD
    To them that are called according to his purpose

    2 Timothy 1:8&9
    Be not thou therefore ashamed of the TESTIMONY of our LORD
    Nor of me his prisoner
    But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the GOSPEL
    According to the power of GOD
    (9) Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling
    Not according to our works
    But according to his own purpose and grace
    Which us in CHRIST JESUS before the world began

    Psalm 33:4
    For the word of the LORD is right
    And all HIS works are done in truth

    Psalm 45:2
    Thou art fairer than the children of men
    Grace is poured into thy lips therefore GOD has blessed thee forever

    Ephesians 1:11
    In whom also we have obtained an inheritance
    being predestinated according to the PURPOSE OF HIM WHO WORKETH ALL THINGS after the counsel of HIS own will

    Lord JESUS what is the purpose of your GRACE

    Titus 2:12
    Teaching us that
    denying ungodliness and worldly lusts
    we should live –soberly–righteously– and godly—
    IN THIS PRESENT WORLD

    Titus 2:13
    Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great GOD and our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

    1 John 2:28&29
    And now little children abide in HIM
    That when HE shall appear we may have confidence and not
    be ashamed before HIM at HIS coming
    (29) If you that HE is righteous
    you know that every one that doeth righteousness
    is born of HIM

    1 John 3:10
    In this the children of GOD are manifest
    and the children of the devil
    Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of GOD
    neither he that loveth not his brother

    LOVING THE LORD